The 25-year-old defenseman is a finalist for the Norris Trophy, which is given out to the NHL's top defenseman. He won the award not too long ago in the year 2021, getting it a second time in three years would be quite an accomplishment.
Despite the disappointing end to the New York Rangers season, their star defenseman, Adam Fox, is being recognized yet again in a league-wide setting for his play during the 2022-2023 NHL regular season. Fox tallied 12 goals along with 60 assists for a total of 72 points in all 82 games played.
Outside of hockey, how cool is it that we are talking about a kid who grew up on Long Island, attended Rangers games his entire life, and is now representing his favorite team as one of the best defensemen in the entire world? I mean, you can't write a better script than that.
Fox might not be as fast as Makar, as shifty as Karlsson, physical as McAvoy, and have a shot like Burns, but can you honestly tell me that there is a defenseman who makes more right decisions with the puck than number 23 on the Rangers?
The Jericho, NY native has something that cannot be taught. His hockey IQ is off the charts and I personally don't believe that there is another blue-liner out there that thinks the game quite like he does.
Let's also remember that Fox is entering what is only his fifth NHL season and has already become a household name after being selected in the third round of the 2016 NHL Draft. He is continuing to become a more well-rounded player and he hasn't even started to reach his peak yet.
I know stats aren't everything, but what he has continued to do as far as point production goes early on in his NHL career has been incredibly impressive. That being said, New York is a sports city that is hungry for a championship, and bringing Lord Stanley back to the Big Apple is all that the fans care about.
Believe me, I understand the frustrations.
But if you ask me, I think the mental aspect of the game needs way more appreciation. Fox is a cool, calm, and collected person and he is exactly that in the way he plays. You rarely see him get rattled, even if he's not at his best, and he always has an even-keel approach, no matter the situation, which can be very difficult to maintain as a professional athlete.
There aren't many players out there that can truly do it all. What Fox may lack in physicality or speed, he makes up for with offensive ability and his defensive play. He also happens to be partners with one of the most physical defensemen in the entire league, Ryan Lindgren, who complements Fox very well.
He might not fight, or throw the massive open-ice body checks, but he blocks shots, keeps plays alive at the offensive blue line, breaks out the puck cleanly, has strong neutral zone gaps, and is a phenomenal power play quarterback, I mean the positives go on and on.
It's so hard to find a true, number-one defenseman in the NHL and not only have the Rangers found theirs, but he also happens to be a homegrown New York kid.
Adam Fox is special.